End the patronageEarlier this week the UCL’s Constitution Unit released a new report titled Enough is Enough, outlining the ludicrous situation of Lords appointments. The House of Lords is now the second largest chamber on the planet, only...Posted 12 Feb 2015
The Supersized House of LordsThe House of Lords Reform Bill is gone. But the House of Lords remains unsustainable. At the heart of this problem is the chamber’s scope for growth. The House of Lords is already the largest Second...Posted 16 Jun 2013
Lords Reform: A failure for Britain’s political classAnd so it’s come to pass. After all the gossip the government has finally withdrawn the House of Lords Reform bill. This isn’t about the failure of one party, one government or one bill, but of...Posted 06 Aug 2012
Super majority in the Commons on Lords reformThere was progress on the rocky road to reform of the House of Lords this week when the bill to introduce some members to the second chamber received huge support from MPs. But party politics...Posted 12 Jul 2012
A little reminder to MPs on Lords Reform…We hear news that rebels are preparing to topple the coming Lords Reform Bill. One PPS is quoted in today’s Guardian saying: We will resign to vote against the programme motion. We want to ensure that...Posted 29 Apr 2012
House of Lords reform: Independence, expertise and a strange case of false logicThe argument that independence and expertise exist in abundance amongst our current peers is now being cited as a key reason against reforming the House of Lords. If preserving these features is a core argument against reform,...Posted 15 Mar 2012